R4/110 Javon Baker WR UCF

mwonow

mwonow

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Looks like a pretty good pick to me. Of course, I'm not one of the 9 folks who had him in the draft pool...
 
Sox Puppet

Sox Puppet

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The Ringer has Baker as its first sleeper pick to be this year's Puka Nacua.

Baker is exactly the kind of project teams will be eager to bet on in the later rounds. Despite lacking polish as a route runner and true deep speed, Baker is such a natural playmaker. He’s an aggressive, physical player, which shows up in every aspect of his game. He runs angry, whether he has the ball in his hands or not, and his effort as a blocker is among the best in this receiver class. Where he’s at his best, however, is winning down the football field. Baker’s average depth of target (17.1) was the third highest of any FBS wide receiver with 75 or more targets in 2023, and he ranked first among the same group of wideouts in yards per reception. He creates constant separation down the field; he is a big play waiting to happen.{/QUOTE]
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SMU_Sox

SMU_Sox

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Huge fan of Baker and really love giving Maye two guys who win on the sidelines and catch everything close to them. Aside from the OL which were reaches the WRs really fit what Maye needs. Still need a true WR1 and LT but that can wait for next year.
 
jodyreeddudley78

jodyreeddudley78

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I know in the WR thread it was discussed how college efficiency stats aren't really predictive of anything, and they lack context, but Baker is one of the guys that has a lot of green. I think efficiency stats *can* be better served as red flags rather than a basis for judging talent.

Additionally, someone like Matt Harmon has done the film work, and he does well against press coverage and pretty well in man and zone. This feels like a great upside pick.
 

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Mystic Merlin

Mystic Merlin

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I didn’t realize that he and Maye know each other/worked together a bit when Maye briefly committed to Alabama (Baker of course eventually transferred from Alabama).
 
Reverend

Reverend

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SMU_Sox said:
Huge fan of Baker and really love giving Maye two guys who win on the sidelines and catch everything close to them. Aside from the OL which were reaches the WRs really fit what Maye needs. Still need a true WR1 and LT but that can wait for next year.
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A burner and a binkie. Makes a lot of sense for a rookie QB

Sox Puppet said:
But take comfort in the fact that he "runs angry" without the ball.
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Totally. “Not super fast but runs angry.”? Not bad. “Super fast and runs angry.”? yesplease
 
rodderick

rodderick

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Honestly, I'm loving that these guys all sound super confident and competitive. From Maye to Baker, the vibes are off the charts. This team desperately needs some personalities like these.
 
MuellerMen

MuellerMen

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Totally. “Not super fast but runs angry.”? Not bad. “Super fast and runs angry.”? yesplease
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Give me the "plays faster than his speed" player over the "runs fast" one any day. Speed is great, super important. But speed without football skill looks like Tyquan Thornton or David Terrell. "Plays faster than his speed" to me usually means the odds of the player having better spatial awareness, natural instincts, and understanding of leverage are much higher. And those are the skills that are harder, if not impossible, to teach. I may be very wrong, but I always perk up when I hear "plays faster than his speed. When someone mentions great speed, I think, "Okay. But how does the guy actually play?"

Edit: Fixed quote marks
 
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